Checkmatrix
by Parsec
Summary: [PpG/Matrix crossover]  A strange phone call leads the girls to discover the truth about their world...
1. Rebirth

[Note: I do not own the Powerpuff Girls _or_ the Matrix. I just thought I'd put this disclaimer on here for once, since this is a crossover fic, and two licenses are trickier than one…]

**__**

Checkmatrix

By: Mark J. Hadley

* * *

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CHAPTER 1 – "REBIRTH"

"The city of Townsville. These are the coordinates."

"Yes. Ah, there they are. Look at them…incredible…they have such ability."

"I know. That's why we need them. They could be the key to everything."

"Right. The question is, how do we convince them? How do we let them know?"

"I'm not sure. Yet. We'll have to be careful."

"Yes, I know. When are you going to try and contact them?"

"Tonight."

"So soon?"

"It _must_ be tonight. I think the others may be on to us. They could get to them _first_."

"I'll arrange it, then. Do you really think they're the ones to help us?"

"I'm sure of it. Tonight, we will know for certain…"

* * *

"Attack pattern Omega-Gamma-1…now!" Blossom ordered. The Powerpuff girls descended quickly from the skies down towards the muscular, scaly creature that was attacking Townsville. It raised its arms protectively in front of itself as they approached. All three of them opened fire with their eyebeams, not with the intention of harm, but rather, to push its arms out of the way. They didn't stop their approach, and now with the creature's arms pushed aside, all three of them were able to land punches to its chest, followed by an uppercut to the jaw that sent it flying high into the air.

Buttercup watched it land well outside of Townsville, down for the count. She shook a fist in its direction and shouted, "And stay out!"

"Good work, girls!" Blossom said. She looked up at the sky, which was rapidly becoming dark. "It's time to head home. Let's call it a night, okay?"

"Sure," Bubbles agreed, and Buttercup also nodded. They turned and started flying back home once again. In less than a minute, they arrived at home, and flew back into their room. The clock read 6:15…they had a while yet before bed, so they broke out their toys and started playing around for a while.

The professor stopped in to check on them, "How are my little angels this evening?"

"Great!" Bubbles said, busy building a tower out of blocks. "We stopped another monster from wreckin' the town, an' saved the day again!"

"Wonderful!" he said with a smile. "Sometimes I wonder _what_ we would do without you. Townsville is so lucky to have you three protecting it. Well, I have to go return to the lab. Have fun, and don't stay up _too_ late now."

Blossom nodded, setting down her toy plane, "All right! Thanks, Professor!" He left the room, closing the door behind him. Blossom smiled, and went back to playing.

Barely a minute later, the hotline buzzed. Buttercup was the closest to the phone, but she was busy battling some toy soldiers with each other, so she said, "Someone get that?"

"Okay," Blossom said, flying over and picking up the phone. "Hello, Mayor?"

Normally, Blossom expected to hear the Mayor's voice at this point, informing her of some crime in progress, or some giant monster about to destroy the city, or some supervillain on the loose. However, the voice that came from the other end of the line _wasn't_ the Mayor, but a deeper voice. "No, not the Mayor. We need to talk."

Blossom was startled, "Who is this? How did you get on this line?" The other girls looked up from what they were doing, curiously.

"That's not important right now," came the voice. "What _is_ important is that you come meet me right away. We have an urgent matter to discuss, and I'm afraid it can't wait. We're out of time."

"What are you talking about?" Blossom said, frowning.

"Go over to the window," the voice told her. Blossom picked up the hotline from the table and carried it with her as she floated across the room to look out the window. She didn't know what she was looking for, until a second later she saw a black car pull up in front of the house, parking on the street. It stopped, and a pair of men emerged. Each of them wore dark gray suits…they also wore a pair of sunglasses, and had some kind of radio receiver over one ear, the wire going down into their jacket. They looked like members of the Secret Service, in a way.

The voice continued, "Do you see them?"

Blossom nodded absently, then remembering that she was talking on the phone, she said, "Yes, I see them…who are they?" At this point, Bubbles and Buttercup went over to the other windows to get a look as well.

"They're here for you and your sisters," the voice told her. "One of them will knock on the front door. The other will circle around back to make sure you don't try to slip out the rear exit, so you have to hurry before he gets there. You have only about thirty seconds. Hang up the phone, and go now."

"But…" Blossom began.

"There is a bus stop on 4th Street in Townsville, I will contact you again there," the voice interrupted. "Go!"

Blossom wasn't sure what to make of this, but she thought it might be best to comply…after all, there _were_ people approaching the house for some reason, and someone had taken the time to warn them. She hung up the phone and said quickly, "Girls, follow me, now!" They dropped whatever they were holding and dashed off after Blossom, who headed out into the hall and downstairs.

They slipped out the back door and flew away from the building. Once they were at a safe distance, Blossom turned and looked at the house, and could just barely make out one of the men in the suits coming around the back of the house. She breathed a sigh of relief.

"What was _that_ all about?" Buttercup demanded.

"I don't know," Blossom said. "Someone on the phone warned us to get out of there. He wants us to contact us at a bus stop in Townsville…"

"So…do we?" Bubbles asked.

Blossom looked off towards the skyscrapers in the distance, and said, "Yes. I _have_ to know what's going on…but let's make sure the professor's all right, first."

She watched the house from a distance using her X-ray vision, as the professor answered the door and spoke with one of them men. They talked for only a minute or so before they immediately turned and returned to their vehicle. Blossom breathed a sigh of relief. _At least the professor's not in trouble,_ she thought. "All right, let's move!" she ordered, and started towards the city…

* * *

Townsville was quiet at this time of night. Hardly anyone was up and about, and the empty streets were darkened, save for the occasional streetlight. Down at the bus stop on 4th Street, they descended and landed. No one was around…the streets were empty in all directions.

Buttercup looked down each street, wondering why they were asked to come out here. "Okay," she said. "We're here, now what?"

Before anyone could answer, a pay phone near the bus stop rang. Blossom glanced over at it curiously, and said, "I guess _that's_ what." She flew over and answered it, "Yes?"

"Good, you're safe," the voice on the other end said. "Now…we're arranging our meeting place at the moment. I've sent someone by the name of Query to meet you there; she should be arriving very soon."

"Who _are_ you?" Blossom asked.

"Patience," the voice said. "Everything will be answered once Query brings you to me…" Before another word could be spoken, though, a gunshot rang out, and the receiver in her hand split in half, pieces of electronics falling to the ground as she dropped what was left of it in alarm.

All three of them turned to look at the source of the gunshot, and saw one of the men with the suits, a smoking gun in his hand, pointing it in their direction. He lowered the gun slowly and said, "Powerpuff Girls. Please, come with me."

"Hey, what's the big idea?" Buttercup shouted.

"Yeah," Bubbles said. "You coulda hurt someone!"

The man approached them and said, "I _am_ sorry that I had to do that. But it is important that you come with me. It is a matter of…national security."

Blossom looked at him skeptically, "You wouldn't just shoot first and ask questions later, mister! I don't know what you're up to, but we're not coming with you."

The man stopped directly in front of her, face-to-face, so close that she could see her reflection in his sunglasses. He said, "I'm afraid…that you have no choice in this matter." He reached out suddenly and grabbed her by the neck. The move surprised Blossom, and even more surprising was his strength. She tried to pull his arms away from her neck, but she couldn't…he was too strong.

Buttercup and Bubbles gasped, and Buttercup launched herself at the man, shouting, "Let her go!" She swung a punch at the side of his head, but with incredible speed, his free arm flew up and effortlessly deflected the punch. Before she even had time to realize this, he grabbed onto her arm and flung her in the opposite direction, against the side of a building.

Bubbles stared in shock for a moment, then narrowed her eyes and fired her eyebeams at the man. He must have spotted it, because he moved extremely fast, releasing Blossom and leaning backwards, narrowly avoiding the blasts as they passed by right in front of his face, yet completely unfazed by the near miss. As soon as Blossom was free, she quickly floated back to a safe distance.

_Who_ is_ this guy?_ Blossom thought. She watched as he stood straight up again, and casually adjusted his tie. He started walking towards Blossom once again. _He's strong,_ she thought. _It looked like he fought the three of us off effortlessly. How is that possible?_

A second later, more gunshots rang out. The man suddenly moved fast from side to side, moving in a blur that was almost too fast for even the girls to see. Off to one side, another person had come into view. She wore a long black trench coat, and her clothes underneath were also black. Her dark blonde hair was tied back into a ponytail. In each hand, she held a pistol, and both of them were aimed at the man in the suit. Smoke was coming from the barrels from the shots she fired.

"I'll hold him off," she shouted. "I'll catch up with you as soon as I can. Go!"

_That must be Query_, Blossom reasoned. She turned to the other girls and said, "You heard her…lets move!" Buttercup pulled herself free from the wall where she was flung, and all three of the girls immediately took to the air, heading for the rooftops.

Down below, Query started opening fire on the man again, who was now charging towards her. Incredibly, not a single bullet hit him. He covered the distance between them in the blink of an eye and swung a punch. Query did a back flip to avoid the blow, tucking her pistols back into her trench coat in mid-leap. When her feet hit the ground again, she immediately turned and started running for a nearby alley.

The girls watched this from the roof, and Bubbles said, "She's going into a dead end! Should we help her?"

Blossom nodded, "On the count of three, we fly down there and create a diversion. Ready? One…"

She never got the chance to finish counting, because she was distracted by what she saw next. Query ran into the alley, and leapt up to the side of one of the buildings. She continued running, straight up the side, impossibly, for another four strides, before kicking herself away from the wall towards the opposite building. She landed on a fire escape, and jumped straight upwards. Her jump carried her the remaining eight stories up, all the way to the roof's edge, where she landed in front of the girls.

All three of them just gaped. Buttercup managed to say, "How…how did you do that…"

"No time," Query said. "Listen…fly to the 7th Street Hotel as soon as possible. I'll meet up with you there."

"But…" Bubbles began.

"Just do it!" she ordered. She pulled a cell phone out of her coat and dialed it hastily. As she ran towards the opposite end of the roof, she spoke into it, "Tripwire, I need an exit…" She ran right up to the edge of the roof, and jumped, arcing through the air and landing on the roof of a building that had to have been a hundred feet away.

Blossom was still in shock, "What's going _on_ here?!"

"Maybe we should go to the hotel," Bubbles said. "Like she told us to…"

"You're right, Bubbles," Blossom agreed. "Maybe we can find some answers to this whole mess there. Let's hurry!" She flew away from the rooftop, and her sisters followed…

* * *

The girls descended towards the 7th Street Hotel. As promised, there was someone waiting on the rooftop for them. He was a middle-aged man, with gray hair. Like Query, he wore a black trench coat with a simple black outfit underneath. A pair of sunglasses covered his eyes, but even so, they seemed to brighten along with his expression when he saw the girls.

Blossom set down on the roof, and her sisters landed next to her. "All right," she said. "Who are you? And how did you tap into the hotline?"

"The hotline was not a difficulty, not for me and my team," he explained. "As for myself…my name is Daedalus. And you are the famous Powerpuff Girls, yes?"

"That's right," Buttercup said.

"Daedalus," Blossom said, thinking. "Isn't that the guy from Greek mythology? He built the labyrinth, the one that held the Minotaur…"

"That is correct," Daedalus said. "The labyrinth was like a trap, from which no one could escape. However, that Daedalus knew the way to find the exit, to remove oneself from that stone prison, and gave it to a hero, that he might find a way out. Not too unlike what I hope to accomplish with you. I'm sure you have many questions, but for right now, let's go indoors. We have many things to discuss."

The girls glanced at each, and shrugged. Daedalus walked over and started down the stairwell leading into the hotel, and the girls followed him. They went down two stories, and went out into a hallway, stopping in front of a door. He opened it and walked in.

As the girls came in, they were interested by the décor of the room. It was somewhat elegant, yet simple at the same time. A few pieces of furniture, a carpet covering the hardwood floor, a wide window with drapes, but little else, save a door leading to an adjoining room. Amazingly, Query stood by the door. They wondered how this was possible, since they had to have gotten to the hotel _long_ before she did.

He nodded in her direction, and Query nodded back and turned to leave through the door. Daedalus took a seat in one of the chairs, across from a couch, which he motioned to. "Please, have a seat."

The girls hovered over and landed on the couch. Buttercup was the first to speak, "Okay, what's this all about?"

"We have been watching you, recently," Daedalus explained. "The three of you have extraordinary talents…far surpassing any of those of normal people…"

"Of course," Bubbles said. "We're superheroes."

"Yes, but this goes beyond that," he continued. "You have an amazing gift…you are unaware of its full potential. But _I_ know of it."

"Know of what?" Buttercup asked.

"The true source of your power," he said. "It is not the 'Chemical X', as you were led to believe it was, but rather, it is your own ability. I know the source of this ability, and I know the limits to which they can grow, if you are awakened to them…far more than even you know."

"I think we do, too," Blossom said. "We know our powers are developing, and that we'll have the power to save the whole world someday…"

Daedalus grinned slightly, "Your efforts are credible, but ultimately futile. The world you are trying to save, ironically, is not the one you _should_ be saving…"

Buttercup looked confused, "What do you mean by _that?_"

"You are merely saving a fantasy," he told them. "A dream world. Nothing more. I can show you the world that _truly_ needs your help, but you have to _want_ to see it. You have to _want_ to know the truth."

"I…see…" Blossom said, not fully understanding. "And what _is_ this 'truth'?"

"You will see," Daedalus said. "But you must decide now if it is what you truly want, to know the source of your powers, and what you must do with them. Once the truth has been shown to you, however, it will be impossible to return to your old lives. It's all, or nothing."

"Impossible?" Bubbles said. "But…we _like_ our lives…"

Daedalus nodded, "I realize that. This is why it is such a huge decision. I will let you decide, but if you choose _not_ to learn the truth, you will eventually be captured by _them_." The girls knew who he was referring to.

"No way," Buttercup said. "We're tough enough to handle those guys…"

He cracked a small grin, and said, "You might be, at that. But even _you_ can't defend yourself against them twenty-four hours a day. Eventually, you'll be in their custody. I'm offering you a way out, and the truth, as opposed to whatever they have planned for you. Either way, you'll be sacrificing your old way of life."

The room fell silent for the next few moments, as the girls considered this. Blossom finally spoke up, "I…what do we have to do?"

Daedalus stretched out a hand, opening it up and revealing three small pills. "One for each of you. Once you take them, I can show you everything you need to know…"

Blossom looked _very_ skeptical now, and asked warily, "How do we know they're not poisonous? Or drugged?"

"Perhaps you would prefer something more palatable?" he said. The pills in his hand suddenly wavered, and changed shape, reforming into three small pieces of candy.

"But…how…" Bubbles whispered.

Blossom was amazed, but still doubtful. "That doesn't change anything," she insisted.

Buttercup gave Blossom a look, and said, "Okay, I'll take the first one, all right? If anything terrible happens to me, just don't take yours."

"Buttercup, no!" Blossom exclaimed. "It's too dangerous."

"Look, there's something going on here," Buttercup said, "and I want to know _what_. I say we trust these guys for now, okay?" Without another word, she reached out and took one of the pieces of candy, popping it into her mouth.

Blossom and Bubbles watched anxiously, as Buttercup chewed it, a smile crossing her face. Bubbles said, "Buttercup? Are you all right?"

She nodded, swallowing the candy. "I'm fine. It's just really good," she said, still smiling. "Wish there was more…hey, if they don't eat theirs, can I have them?"

"Sorry, but no," Daedalus said. "More than one will interfere with the…ah…process."

"Well," Bubbles said, "I'm not leavin' _my_ piece behind…" She scooped up a piece of candy and ate it. Blossom watched this, and sighed, reluctantly taking her own piece. She looked at it cautiously, and glanced at the other girls, who nodded to her. She shrugged, and ate it also.

Daedalus smiled, "We're all set…please follow me." He got up and walked across the room over to the door where Query had gone. The girls flew up from the couch and followed him. Opening the door, he walked into the next room, which the girls could see contained an array of computers and other electronic equipment, with a couple of people operating them. There were also three empty chairs in the center of the room.

He motioned for them to take a seat at the chairs, while he introduced the people that were at the computers. "You already know Query," he said, and Query nodded to them. "This is Photon…" he said, indicating a young woman with short red hair seated at one of the computers. "…and Reaper," he finished. The young man with messy blonde hair looked up from the equipment he was operating and gave a half-smile, nodding at the girls.

Each of the girls landed on one of the chairs, and waited. Daedalus stepped in front of them and said, "This…everything you see around you here, is the Matrix. It is the world that you can see, and feel, and hear…but it masks you from seeing the world as it really is."

Blossom, not fully understanding, asked, "And what is it really?"

"You'll find out shortly," Daedalus told them. "That candy you ate was a trace program, which will allow us to find your precise location within the Matrix…"

Buttercup scratched her head, "Huh? Program? What are you talking about?"

"Just hold on," Query said, from her position, where she was rapidly keying up a complex schematic on her console. "This won't be pleasant at first…but you can do it."

Bubbles felt cold when she said that. _What are they gonna do?_ she wondered. She could see that the others felt just as agitated as she was. All three of the girls reached out and held each others' hands. Blossom said, "Whatever happens, we can handle it…we're superheroes, after all…"

Reaper shouted, "I think I've found one of them…yeah, here we are…"

"You're right," Photon said. "Hey, the other two are there, also. Daedalus, think we should pull all three of them out at once? We'll be able to pick them up together…"

Hesitating for a moment, Daedalus nodded, "Do it."

The girls glanced at each other, suddenly a little afraid…they had no idea what they were up to, but they knew that whatever it was, it wasn't going to be easy for them. They watched as Reaper counted down, "All right…five seconds…four…three…two…one…"

"Now!" Query said, working her controls.

Blossom was about to give more words of reassurance to the other girls, when suddenly, everything around her seemed to freeze, and go black. Everything disappeared around her, and she felt a rushing sensation, like some invisible force was pulling her along. She tried to shout, but couldn't even move, let alone breathe. _Am I dead?_ she wondered in the back of her mind…

* * *

Everything snapped back into being, as though the world around Blossom had been switched back on just as quickly as it had been switched off. But she was someplace else, now. Disoriented, she couldn't see, but she felt enclosed, like something was surrounding her. It was a somewhat familiar sensation, almost like she was submerged underwater, but it didn't feel like water…rather, it felt like some thicker, slightly more viscous liquid.

Blossom strained to open her eyes as she thrashed around, trying to find a way out of whatever held her. She felt tubes and cables; they were holding her in place as well. She tried to break free with her full strength, but she felt so weak. Her arms and legs were sore, and she could barely open her eyes anything more than a small crack.

She eventually figured out which way was up, and broke free from the surface. She could see a little more clearly now. The pinkish/purplish liquid that surrounded her was enclosed in a small, pod-like device. She wasn't wearing anything, but dozens of the tubes and cables she felt before were attached to her…on her arms, her back; one was even sticking out of her mouth. She managed to pull that cable free, and coughed.

Blossom wiped her eyes and tried to take a look around, to get her bearings. At first, she thought she was seeing things. She was in a tremendous cavern, not one made of stone, but of metal. She could see what looked like hundreds of small pinkish bulbs sticking out from the cavern wall…it took her a few moments to realize that they were more pods, like the one she was still in. She looked up, and down over the side, and saw that the cavern extended for what seemed like a mile in both directions.

All the sound around here seemed muffled, but slowly cleared up as she got used to the change in pressure from when she was submerged. She became aware of other sputtering and splashing sounds, and looked to her sides. The two pods next to her were open similarly to hers, and there was a small shape sitting up in them. Both of them were extremely pale, and covered with cables that connected to them in all places just like her. They were bald, and looked as disoriented as she was.

Blossom barely recognized their shape, however. The one on her left turned to look directly at her, and even though her eyes were straining to open, she could see the green irises. _Buttercup?_ she thought. Taking a glance to her right, she saw that the other one staring around the cavern in shock, and noticed that she had blue irises.

_Where on Earth are we?_ she wondered. _What happened to us?_

Everything that happened next seemed to pass in a blur. A large, spider-like robot descended and examined her closely. After a few moments of this, all of the cables attached to her were abruptly disconnected. She could see out of the corner of her eyes that the same thing was happening to her sisters. Before she could react, a hatch opened up beneath her inside the pod, flushing the contents of the tank. She felt herself being swept down through a pipeline by a flow of the liquid, unable to slow down or see where she was going.

It finally emptied out into the open, and for a moment, she felt suspended in the air, before plummeting a few dozen feet into the water below. The water was almost as grimy and viscous as the liquid in her pod was. She sputtered, trying desperately to stay afloat. Two other loud splashes sounded nearby, and she knew somewhere in the back of her mind that it was the others.

It was almost too dark to see, but only for a moment, before a bright light shone on her from above. Something big was looming overhead, and as she looked up in confused amazement, a metallic claw descended from whatever it was, grabbing her and lifting her out of the water. She coughed a few more times, and squinted, trying to see better, but she still couldn't make any details out.

She was brought up to it, and it laid her down on her back, on a cold metal surface. Blinking, she saw the fuzzy images of people standing over her. They came into focus only for a moment, and she made out a face: Daedalus. He wasn't wearing his sunglasses anymore, nor his trench coat, but rather, just a simple gray shirt. Before she closed her eyes and passed out, she heard his voice say, "Welcome to the real world…"

**__**

TO BE CONTINUED…


	2. Guidance

**__**

Checkmatrix

By: Mark J. Hadley

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CHAPTER 2 – "GUIDANCE"

Blossom slowly opened her eyes, straining to see clearly…she felt like she had been asleep for a long time, her eyes were so sore. Everything was a little blurry around her still, so she closed them again, and took a deep breath. As she did, her memories started to come back to her, and she thought to herself, _What a strange dream…I've had weird dreams before, but this one was…unique. I wonder what it all means…_

She forced herself to sit up. She felt so stiff, though…_Did I oversleep?_ she thought. Rubbing her tired eyes, she opened them again and tried to get a better look at her surroundings. She was surprised, however, to find out that she was not in her bed. She was in a small room, with walls made of metal, lying on a makeshift bed that was thrown together from some old rags. The only entrance to the room was a large heavy rounded door, like a hatch.

_Where am I?_ Blossom thought. _Unless I'm in the professor's lab, this isn't home._ Her arms felt sore, and looking down, she saw dozens of tiny punctures the surface of her skin. They were very small, like they were made with pins, and looked like whatever had made them had been a while back, since they were healing. When she was looking at her skin, she noticed something else…her clothes were different. All she wore was a simple gray shirt, and pants that were a slightly darker gray. They were toddler-size, but the pants weren't a perfect fit…they were a little baggy, and a string tied around the waist kept them up.

She didn't know what to think of these completely unfamiliar surroundings, and scratched the side of her head in confusion. It was then that she became aware of something else: instead of feeling her long hair, her hand passed through an extremely short hair growth that covered the side of her head. She felt around, and realized most of her hair was gone, like someone had shaved almost all of it off.

While feeling around, Blossom also felt something else on the back of her head that made her freeze, a cold feeling shooting through her. It was something metal, like a hole, embedded right in her skin. Slowly, she recalled parts of her "dream", remembering something plugged into the back of her heard, and it began to dawn on her that maybe she wasn't dreaming…

Filled with a brief sense of fear, she tried to fly up from the bed to find help, or at least find out what was going on. She didn't make it far…she ended up falling from the side of the bed instead, landing on the ground with a *_thud_*, right on her shoulder. She cringed, clutching her arm.

_Wh…what's going on? _she thought…_Are my p-powers gone? What's happening?_ She didn't have long to wait for answers, for at that moment, there was a loud *_clack_* from the door, like a lock being removed, and the door swung open slowly. Someone strode into the room, and Blossom looked up to try and see them, although it was difficult against the light that was shining in from around them.

The figure got closer, and kneeled down next to her. She could see her clearly now…it was Query. Even though she was dressed differently, in more ragged clothing than the last time she had seen her, she still recognized her face. Query looked concerned, and said, "Are you all right, Blossom?"

"Where…where am I?" Blossom said, weakly.

Query picked her up and said, "You're on board the Bastion, our ship. Don't worry, we'll explain everything shortly. How do you feel?"

Blossom clenched her eyes shut, rubbing them again, "I dunno…strange…a little woozy…" Her eyes flew open as another thought occurred to her, "Bubbles…Buttercup…"

"They're fine," Query told her. "They're in the next chamber over. Photon's waking them up as we speak."

"I have to see them…" Blossom said, and tried to fly again, out of Query's arms, but to no avail. She collapsed back into them and said, "What happened…to my powers…?"

"You still have them," Query explained, "They're just not exactly the same anymore. Come on…Daedalus will go over everything with you shortly, but let's see your sisters first." She carried her out through the door into a very narrow hall, stopping next to another door next to the one they had just come out of. It was open already, so she walked in.

Blossom gasped slightly. Bubbles and Buttercup were indeed in the room, each of them sitting on an improvised bed, but they looked so _different_. Bubbles' blonde hair was down almost to a buzz cut…it was still thick enough to see, but nowhere near as long as it was before. She wore an old pair of sweat pants, and a sweater that was a little too big on her, with the sleeves almost longer than her arms. Buttercup's hair had always been pretty short, but not _this_ short…it was worse than Bubbles'. She wore an old shirt that had been imprinted to look like a football jersey with a #7 on it, and a pair of short jeans.

Photon was standing over by Buttercup, helping her up. Bubbles looked over as Query and Blossom entered and exclaimed, "Blossom!" Buttercup looked over as well, and seemed just as happy to see her.

"Girls!" Blossom said, "You're okay!"

Noticing that Blossom was being carried in by Query, Buttercup asked, "You can't fly either?" As Blossom shook her head, Buttercup looked agitated, "What on Earth _happened_ to us?" 

Bubbles was still smiling, although she looked a little worried, as she said, "We're just dreaming, right? We're gonna wake up soon…right?"

Photon told them, "Daedalus will be here in a minute to fill you in on everything. In the meantime, we're needed on the bridge." She nodded to Query, and the two of them started out the door. Photon added, "Don't worry, you'll be safe here." The door shut behind them.

Buttercup turned to Blossom again and said, "That…what's-his-name…_he_ did this, didn't he? What did he do, take away our powers? Oh man…I don't like this…"

"Take it easy, Buttercup," Blossom said. "I…I don't know what's going on any more than you do, but I have a feeling they're trying to help us, not hurt us."

Buttercup was about to say something back, when Bubbles yelped. The two looked at her and saw that she had just pinched herself. "No, that didn't do it…" Bubbles muttered, and pinched herself again, with another yelp. "No, that didn't do it either…"

"We're _awake_, Bubbles!" Blossom said, taking her by the shoulders firmly to get her attention. Bubbles finally seemed to realize this, because in the next moment, she started crying, covering her face with her hands.

Buttercup put an arm around her in comfort, but then looked up and said, "There's gotta be a good reason for all this…there's just _gotta_ be…"

"Buttercup," Blossom asked her, "when you came out of that…pod-thing…did you notice what was around?"

Giving a somewhat confused look, Buttercup said, "A big area with lots of lights…I couldn't really see it too well…"

"They looked like other pods to me," Blossom said. "Maybe it was some kind of transport arrival, or maybe…"

"Other people," sniffed Bubbles, interrupting Blossom, who stared at her in surprise. She lifted her head up from her hands and continued, still crying, "They're other people…I-I know they were. Other people like us, trapped. I didn't wanna believe it…I wanted it to be a dream…b-but it's real, isn't it?"

The door swung open, and the three of them turned towards it. Daedalus entered the room, dressed in the same outfit Blossom had seen him wearing just before she blacked out before. He smiled, and noticing their frightened stares, he said in a reassuring voice, "Don't worry, Powerpuff Girls…you are ready to learn the truth now."

"Then tell us!" Buttercup demanded. "Where are we?"

"You're home…Earth." Daedalus said. "I can show you, if you'd like. Are you strong enough to walk on your own?

Blossom tested her legs, and although they were a little bit unsteady, she said, "Yeah, I think so…" Bubbles wiped her eyes and stood up as well, as did Buttercup.

"Good," Daedalus said. "Then, follow me." He waked out of the room, and the girls stayed close behind him. Blossom had to admit, it felt strange to walk, especially when she was so used to flying everywhere. She had only walked a handful of times before, and each time, it was by choice. This was more or less being forced upon her.

Daedalus led them down a narrow corridor, sort of like a corridor on a submarine, with hatches along the side, undoubtedly leading to other rooms. They finally emerged into a larger chamber that was filled with computers and other equipment, not too unlike what they had seen in the hotel room. Except this was a lot more cluttered and included a circle of reclined bed-like chairs, more than a dozen of them.

Photon and Query were both here, and they recognized a man that looked like Reaper. Another man was seated at the computer consoles…he had short brown hair and a little bit of beard stubble, and was wearing a headband and a pair of old sunglasses, as well as a light blue tank top. He smiled slightly and nodded as they came in.

"That's Tripwire," Daedalus said. "Our primary operator. No one knows his way around the Matrix here better than he does."

_That's the second time I've heard him use that term_, Blossom thought. She asked, "The Matrix?"

Daedalus nodded, "Let me show you." He nodded to the others, who carefully helped the girls each up onto a bed. The girls noticed they were surrounded by equipment, and that the beds each had a hole about where the head normally rests. Each of them lay back, looking out at the others as Daedalus continued, "There might be some momentary discomfort, but it isn't bad, and it passes quickly. Are you ready?"

Bubbles swallowed and nodded, as did Buttercup. Unsure, but curious, Blossom said, "I'm ready." She looked over towards Bubbles' bed, and saw Photon bringing a cable up from underneath, towards the hole on the underside of the bed. Reaper was doing something similar with Buttercup.

She heard Query from behind her say, "Look back up at the ceiling, and lie still." Blossom complied, waiting a little nervously to see what would happen. She abruptly felt something press against the back of her head, and cringed, clenching her eyes shut, as an electrical feeling shot through her entire body…

* * *

The feeling passed…when she opened her eyes again, all she saw was a brilliant white. There was no sound at all. She looked around in confusion, then glanced down at herself, noticing that she was wearing her usual pink dress once again. Feeling up with her hands, she found that she was wearing her hairbow, and was a little surprised to feel that her hair was back as well, still in its usual ponytail. _But this is impossible…I was just…_

Her thoughts were interrupted by Bubbles' voice calling out, "Blossom?" She turned, and where she had not been before, Bubbles was now standing nearby, against the white void that stretched around them. Buttercup was there too, and both of them looked exactly as they normally did before, with their dresses and hairstyles back the way they were.

Blossom flew over and said, "Girls, are you all right?"

"Yeah, I think so," Buttercup said, still examining herself in amazement. She glanced up suddenly at Blossom and said, "Hey, did you just fly over here?"

Scratching her head, Blossom looked down and saw that she was floating off the ground. "Hey, you're right! I think our powers are back!"

"In a manner of speaking, yes," came a voice from nearby. They looked in that direction, and saw Daedalus, once again wearing his trench coat and sunglasses. He motioned out towards the void and continued, "This is our construct program. It is like a low-level simulation of the Matrix itself. We can create whatever we need here, be it weapons or equipment, or training scenarios…"

"Simulation?" Bubbles said.

Blossom looked down at her hands, then back at Daedalus and asked, "This is a computer program?"

"That's right," he replied. "Of course, you have the proof right in front of you. Your clothes are different, your hair is back the way it was…you even have your powers intact once again." He grinned slightly as he watched Blossom still hovering, and said, "It still amazes me how easily you can do that."

"So…what's this 'Matrix' you keep talkin' about?" Buttercup asked.

Daedalus turned and looked out towards the white void, and suddenly it became dark, almost in an instant. A huge city skyline spread out underneath them, a breathtaking view…the girls immediately recognized it as Townsville. "This is the world you know," he said. "It is nothing more than a simulation, a giant artificially-generated construct that we refer to as the Matrix. Within it, countless people go about their daily lives, unaware of what the world around them _truly_ is."

As they watched, the city flickered, and was just as quickly replaced by ruined structures. The sky became dark and cloudy, and there was no life anywhere. It looked like the aftermath of a war. As the girls looked about in disbelief, Daedalus continued, "This is the world as it truly is. A nearly lifeless barren wasteland."

"What…what _happened?_" Blossom managed to say.

"Ages ago—no one even knows how long it has been—the first true artificial intelligence was created," he told them. "It was mankind's greatest achievement…and it was also its undoing. Our records of history are sketchy at best, but eventually, war broke out between us…the humans, and the machines."

Blossom looked at the ruined cities and said, "We lost?"

Daedalus nodded, "We were outmatched in every way, and didn't stand a chance. In a last-ditch effort to survive, we did _this_…" He pointed at the darkened clouds in the sky and said, "At the time, they received most of their energy from sunlight, and by cutting this supply off, we hoped to defeat them. But all it did was condemn us to another fate…"

The scenery faded out again, and was replaced by a large cavern, like the one they had been in when they first awoke. Hundreds of thousands of pods covered the walls, maybe even millions. They could see them clearly now…each one held a human being inside. The girls gasped, and listened as Daedalus explained, "They were able to take the natural bioelectric output of the human body, and the heat it generates, and use _this_ as their source of power. And with so many humans at their disposal, they had a nearly limitless supply."

"But…but…" Bubbles stammered. She didn't know what to say.

The scene vanished as the city of Townsville returned once again. He said, "They created the Matrix to keep us under their control. By having us live inside their computer-generated fantasy world, none of us would ever know the truth, and the human race would forever continue to be enslaved by them."

"No…" Blossom whispered, "This…can't be…"

"I'm afraid it is," Daedalus said. "But that's where we come in. A number of us have escaped their control, and together, we may be able to free them all. There is still hope, as long as we stay strong, and continue to fight."

The girls looked at each other, and then grasped each other's hands tightly. This was more than they could have imagined, but they knew they had to do something about it. Blossom looked at Daedalus and said, "What do we need to do?"

"Patience," Daedalus said. "We still need to determine exactly what the machines had planned for you. It was something important, that's all we're aware of, but we've yet to figure out what it is."

"Us?" Buttercup exclaimed. "They're _after_ us?"

"They already _had_ you," he reminded them. "There's something unique about you three. Normally, the Matrix has a very strict set of rules, such as gravity and other physics. With training, we can learn to bend or break these rules…yet, you three have done something that no one, not even some of our best-trained people, have ever accomplished."

"What's that?" Bubbles asked.

"You've broken some rules _entirely_, and with _no_ training whatsoever," Daedalus said. "That is completely unheard of. We're going to run some tests on you to find out why this is happening, and with your help, we can find out what they were planning, and perhaps use it against them."

Setting her jaw, Blossom nodded and said, "Whatever we can do, we'll do it. We've been trying to do what's right our whole lives, so of course we'll help you however we can. Right?" Bubbles and Buttercup both nodded along with her.

"Excellent," Daedalus said. An instant later, everything went black once again…

* * *

Blossom took in a sharp breath as her eyes opened. She was lying on the bed again, with the computer equipment buzzing and beeping around her. She tried to lift her head, but something was holding it in place…Query, at her side, reached down below her head and unhooked something…she felt like it was pulled free right out from her skull. "There you go," she said with a smile. "How do you feel?"

Sitting up, she held her head and said, "Dizzy…but okay, I guess…" In reality, she was far from okay. She couldn't shake the awful feeling she got from everything she was shown. _Everyone on Earth_, she thought…_How terrible! All this time, I thought we were saving the world, but we were just saving a computer program, while evil went ahead controlling the _real_ world. We can't let this happen! We have to stop them!_

Daedalus had just been unhooked from his own station, and got up, "You need to rest. I know it's a lot of information to digest. We're going to need the time to come up with a training scenario for you, anyway."

Blossom nodded, "All right…"

Query helped her get to her feet again, and she started walking back to their room. As she went down the corridor, Bubbles and Buttercup caught up with her. "I can't believe what happened," Buttercup said absently.

"Me either," Bubbles agreed. "I wish things could just go back the way they were…"

Closing her eyes for a moment, Blossom said, "We can't. Daedalus was right; there's no way to go back to our old lives now. But maybe we can still make a difference _here_…"

* * *

A few hours passed before it was time for their training to begin. That gave them time to rest and think over everything they had been shown. It wasn't long, though, before they found themselves back in the chamber on the beds, hooked into the system once again. They waited as training session was going to start.

"Let's see," Tripwire said from the computer console, going over the list. "Combat training seems kind of pointless…you're _already_ accomplished fighters. Still, you could always improve. Let's start with some Aikido…"

"Aikido? Won't that take a long time to learn?" Blossom asked.

"Yeah," Buttercup said. "How long _are_ we gonna train for, anyway? Years?"

Tripwire grinned slightly, popping a small disc from a stack into his computer console, and pressing a button. Buttercup suddenly tensed up, clenching her eyes shut, almost like she was in pain. The other girls gasped, trying to lift their heads to get a better look, but they couldn't, since they were still plugged into the system.

After only maybe five seconds, though, Buttercup relaxed again, suddenly opening her eyes and letting out the breath she had been holding. She stared at the ceiling in shock, and said, "That's…that's…"

"Amazing, right?" Tripwire finished for her. Buttercup just nodded.

Bubbles blinked a few times and asked, "What just happened?"

"You'll see…" Tripwire said. He punched two more buttons on the console, and both Blossom and Bubbles tensed as they felt something jolt through their heads. Blossom tried to focus on the huge flood of information that was just uploaded into her memory, but it was rushing far too fast for her to sort out. That was only for a few seconds, though, before it all stopped…and she 'remembered'. She didn't know how, or when, but all she was sure of was that she had learned Aikido sometime in the past. She remembered every step, every move, like she had known it her entire life. The sensation was indescribable.

Tripwire looked over and said, "I take it by your smiles that you're happy with it?"

Blossom hadn't even been aware that she was smiling, but she was. She glanced over at Bubbles, and saw a similar smile on her face. Looking back up at the ceiling, she thought, _Well, this 'training' isn't going to be as strenuous as I thought it would._

"Shall I move on to a little Jeet Kune Do?" Tripwire asked

"_Yes!!_" all three of the girls shouted at once. He laughed, and loaded the next disc in, while the girls settled back and prepared for the next upload…

* * *

The three of them floated in the middle of a large, empty room. Daedalus stood before them, and was speaking, "As I mentioned before, the Matrix is a set system, and has a strict set of rules, but with the proper training, anyone can use their mind to alter the Matrix, causing these rules to bend or sometimes even be broken entirely. Things that would be 'impossible' for a normal human to do."

"I think I see what you're saying," Blossom commented. "How hard is it to do?"

"You already have an advantage," he told them. "Your subconscious is already making small modifications for yourselves. Such as your flying…it is merely ignoring the rules of gravity. Your strength…it simply increases the level of force delivered. Your speed…you can react quickly because your subconscious mind is directing your actions straight from your conscious thought."

Daedalus paused, walking up to Buttercup, "The trick is…you must learn to affect the Matrix consciously. Only then will you be able to achieve your true potential." Staring into her eyes, he said, "Attack me."

Shrugging, Buttercup threw a punch at him, but he effortlessly deflected it with his hands, grabbing her and flinging her right out of the air to the ground. She just lay there, stunned a little.

"You see?" Daedalus said. "You obviously have me outclassed in strength and speed. So how did I manage to defeat you so easily? Because I knew that I could."

Bubbles scratched her head, "So…if we just _think_ that we can do it, we _can_?"

"Sort of," he answered. "You can still only do what your mind will allow you to do."

Nodding, Bubbles said, "I think I see. Can I try?"

"Certainly," he said, and stood still, waiting for her attack. Bubbles drifted forward, and suddenly threw a small flurry of punches. Daedalus blocked each one, and tried to grab her arm, but Bubbles suddenly dropped underneath it, sending a kick towards his legs instead. He did a back flip over her kick, landing a safe distance away.

Blossom and Buttercup both gaped. Although she still wasn't fast enough to hit Daedalus, Bubbles was still moving faster than normal. Daedalus smiled, and said, "You're catching on. You've got the right idea…now you just have to forget about any doubts you might have, and focus on your objective. The three of you aren't doing the 'impossible', you just need to realize that within the Matrix, _nothing_ is 'impossible'."

"That reminds me," Blossom asked. "Our eyebeams…and our other powers, like my ice breath…how come _they_ work? We're not altering any rules, there."

"That," he said, "is a very good question. And that's why you're probably so important to the machines. You're right that it's not an alteration of the rules. It's an alteration of the Matrix itself. That is why we must find a way to get you to consciously control these skills. If you were to do so, _nothing_ would be beyond your ability."

A wall materialized in the center of the room. Daedalus walked over to it and said, "We're going to try a little experiment. Blossom…I want you to fly through this wall. Not physically, though. You won't be able to, as it's far too strong. No, you're going to ignore the fact that the wall is even there, since in reality, it isn't."

Blossom looked at the wall. It seemed real enough, but she remembered that it was just a computer program. She closed her eyes and said, "No wall. The wall isn't there." She hovered towards it confidently, and flew right into it. However, she struck the surface, almost as she had been expecting to do. Rubbing her face, she said, "Oww…!"

Daedalus nodded, "It's all right. Something like this is tricky, even with all your natural abilities. This could take a lot of time to master. Unfortunately, we don't have a lot of time right now. We need to make a trip into the Matrix ahead of schedule, so we'll have to cut your training short for now."

"What for?" Bubbles asked.

"The machines are conducting some kind of test," he said. "Since they're doing so in your home city of Townsville, it is probably connected in some way to why they've taken such an interest in you. If we observe them, we might be able to find out what they're trying to do."

"I see," Blossom said. "But will we be okay going back in there?"

Daedalus thought about this, and said, "It could get rough. Your presence would hardly go unnoticed, particularly in a town that had once hailed you as its heroes. The agents would be on you quickly."

"Agents?" Buttercup asked.

"Artificially intelligent programs," he explained. "Their job is to maintain order within the Matrix. You saw some of them by your house, and another one attacked you at the bus stop. They are highly dangerous, and would be able to locate you quickly if you're spotted by anyone. On the other hand, your fame in the city could work to our advantage, as the agents would not be able to easily convince the local law enforcement to assist them against you."

Blossom nodded, "I guess that's true. So when do we go on this mission?"

"Soon," Daedalus told them, signaling Tripwire to cut the simulation. "Very soon."

**__**

TO BE CONTINUED…


	3. Mission

**__**

Checkmatrix

By: Mark J. Hadley

* * *

****

CHAPTER 3 – "MISSION"

The city of Townsville. It was another beautiful sunny day, and was one of the busiest times of the day for the the citizens of this fair city. They walked about the streets, on their way to work or heading for some other planned engagement. They were all going about their daily lives as usual, proceeding with a sense of purpose or accomplishment.

Watching from a rooftop, the Powerpuff Girls looked down at the people below, viewing them for the first time under a new light. They knew where the people _really_ were, and it was unsettling a little to see them go about their business, blissfully unaware of their imprisonment. Blossom wanted to just fly down and tell them, to let them know what was happening to them, to show them the truth…but she knew they wouldn't believe her. They'd probably think she was crazy.

Daedalus and Query were both standing next to them, in their usual trench coats and sunglasses. Noticing their stares down below, Query said, "Almost hard to believe, isn't it? How they can be completely unaware of what's happening to them…"

"Yeah," Buttercup agreed. "I think it'd drive me crazy if I had to go back, knowin' where I _really_ was."

"Can't we free everyone?" Bubbles asked.

"It's not as easy as that," Daedalus said. "You managed the transition fairly well yourselves, but you're still taking the truth a little heavily. Imagine these people, who have spent their entire lives as part of the Matrix. Many of them _wouldn't_ want to leave, even if they _did_ know the truth."

"So then…how do we do it?" Blossom asked, looking over at Daedalus in confusion.

"I'm not sure," Daedalus replied. "It will have to be a gradual process. A sudden shock might be too much for them."

Query, in the meantime, pulled out a pair of binoculars and looked off into the distance. "There…I see them. They're heading out right now. We'll stick to the rooftops. Girls, you fly high enough to avoid being seen, and watch them from above, all right?"

"Right!" Blossom said. She and the other girls took off into the sky. They could see Daedalus and Query below jumping from rooftop to rooftop, heading deeper into the city. She focused instead on their target below: a black car like the one they had seen earlier. It was pulling away from a parking garage next to a tall skyscraper, and was heading out through the city.

Buttercup looked down at the car, "So those are the agents, huh?"

"That's right," Blossom nodded. "We're going to have to keep our guard up around them. Let's make this clear: if we get attacked, we run for now. We may be strong, but I don't think we can handle these guys ourselves yet."

"Okay," Bubbles said. They continued staying amongst the clouds, never taking their eyes off the car as it continued through the city. Finally, it stopped, in an oddly public location: right next to Townsville Park.

As they observed, two agents got out, still wearing the same gray suits. They entered the park, and approached the base of Townsville volcano mountain. _What?_ Blossom thought. _They're going to talk to Mojo? What for?_ Curiously, they flew down amongst the trees in the park to get a closer spot to watch from.

The agents climbed up the steps to the mountain and stopped in front of the door. Giving each other a silent glance, they both drew pistols, and one of them kicked the door open. They rushed inside.

"They're not just visiting," Buttercup whispered aloud. "I think they're after him…"

Buttercup was right, because they could hear Mojo's shout, "Hey! What is the meaning of this intrusion? Mojo Jojo does not take kindly to your trespassing in Mojo's lair, and since this is Mojo's lair, I am angry!!" There came sounds of a scuffle.

"Now what?" Bubbles asked.

"Just watch," Blossom ordered. "We can't let them know we're on to them, at least not yet."

The agents emerged from the observatory a moment later. Both of them led Mojo out, who was handcuffed and struggling to get free. "You cannot hold me forever!" he said. "Mojo will escape, and will destroy you all for your balatant disrespect for the property of another…"

Blossom's mind raced…_Why do they need Mojo? Maybe they're going to use his knowledge for something. Maybe we should try to free him…it's weird, helping Mojo, but these agents are a hundred times worse. Whatever they're planning can't be good for the human race!_ She finally whispered, "All right, we're going to try to get Mojo from them, are you ready?"

Bubbles looked concerned, "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"I think so," Blossom said. "There's two of them. Just be on your best guard, okay? We're not fighting them, we're just trying to free Mojo."

"Fine by me," Buttercup said. "Let's do it, then, before they get away."

The agents pushed Mojo into the backseat of their car, and started walking around towards the front driver and passenger doors. Blossom saw an opening, and said, "That's our chance…now!" In a trio of colored streaks, the three of them flew out as fast as they could towards the car. Before the agents could get into it, the three of them grabbed the car and lifted it up into the air.

Inside the car, Mojo was looking around in confusion…he most certainly didn't expect any help from _anyone,_ let alone the Powerpuff Girls. As they started gaining some altitude, the agents both drew their pistols and started opening fire at them. "Why are they even _doing_ that?" Buttercup wondered. "We're bulletproof…"

Bubbles noticed it, however…they weren't aiming for the girls at all, but rather, at the car. Specifically, towards the gas tank. With a yelp, she made a snap decision…she ripped the door off from the side of the car and flew inside, flying back out with Mojo less than a second later. Just in time, too, because one of the agents' bullets found its mark right after she got clear. The tank of the car exploded…Bubbles and Mojo were safely away, but Blossom and Buttercup were knocked from the sky by the blast.

Hovering in the air, Bubbles tried to figure out where they landed, while Mojo said, "Powerpuff Girls! I am surprised to see you helping me escape…I was under the impression that they were part of the law enforcement, and since you are a part of law enforcement as well, that you would _support_ their actions, instead of…"

"Shh!" Bubbles hissed, still trying to concentrate on finding the others. The agents had vanished, too…they were probably already on the move towards them.

Buttercup picked herself up from the tiny crater that was left in the ground from her impact. As she lifted her head to see, she spotted one of the agents heading directly for her. She quickly scrambled back to her feet, but he reached her before she could fly away. The agent slammed a foot into her, kicking her up and into the side of a tree.

Buttercup gasped for air; the blow had knocked the wind out of her. She was dizzy for a moment, and as her vision started to clear again, she saw him lunging towards her with his fist. Reacting as fast as she could, she ducked under the punch. She expertly did a foot sweep on him, but impossibly, he saw it coming and hopped over it. _No, not impossibly,_ she reminded herself. _Anything's possible here…_

Gritting her teeth with determination, she continued the motion from her foot sweep around in a full circle to sweep a second time, just as his legs were coming down. Even she seemed a little startled at her own speed. It connected, and the agent tripped, tumbling over towards the left.

In the brief moment where he was suspended in the air before hitting the ground, Buttercup watched him fall, almost in slow motion. She saw an opening, and decided to take advantage of it. Normally, she wouldn't have had the time to think of it, let alone act, but she did _both_. She spun around half-way to face him, and slammed both of her hands forward into his chest.

The agent was knocked almost a hundred feet into the side of a brick building. _Not brick_, she thought, as she came to the realization. _There's no building there. It's a computer program, just like everything else…_

Bubbles descended from the sky, still carrying Mojo, and landed on the ground next to her. "Wow, Buttercup!" she said. "I saw what you did…that was amazing!"

Even Mojo looked impressed, "I saw this as well. Your already formidable speed and strength seems to have increased. However, I do not react with happiness as Bubbles did, but rather, I _curse_ this fact, since it will only make it more difficult for my own plans to succeed in the future."

"Give it a rest, Mojo," Buttercup said. "We _saved_ you…"

"And _that_ is my other question," Mojo continued. "Why did _you_ save _me?_"

"They're after you for some reason, an' whatever it is, it's gonna be bad for the world" Buttercup told him.

Mojo laughed, "Ha! They think they can outdo me when it comes to evil? I am far more evil than those _fools!_"

Buttercup shook her head, "If only you knew, Mojo…"

"Omigosh!" Bubbles exclaimed, suddenly remembering. "Blossom!" She immediately flew back up into the air to look for her. Buttercup quickly flew after her, leaving Mojo behind, who just watched them leave, blinking.

The girls heard the sounds of a fight nearby, by the edge of the park. When they got over there, they found Blossom and the other agent fighting. Blossom was executing a stunning array of kicks and punches, from at least a dozen different martial arts styles. Perhaps the training had paid off, since the agent seemed to slowly be getting pummeled by them. However, only the lighter blows landed; he remained fast enough to dodge any of the stronger ones.

Blossom spotted them out of the corner of her eye, and said, "A little help here?"

Bubbles complied by taking a deep breath and releasing a piercing scream towards the agent. The ground seemed to shake from the tremendous impact of her sonic attack, and the agent himself tensed up, slamming his hands over his ears. Blossom took this opportunity to fly back to a safe distance.

Even after the scream stopped, though, the agent reeled, disoriented. He didn't seem to be snapping out of it, either. After a few moments of tottering, he finally collapsed onto the grass, still twitching a little bit.

"Whoa," Buttercup breathed. "What did you _do?_"

As Bubbles shrugged, they became aware of something approaching from the air. They looked up just in time to see two familiar figures land on the ground, having obviously leapt from one of the nearby buildings.

"Daedalus! Query!" Blossom said

They nodded, but their attention was drawn towards the incapacitated agent on the ground. Daedalus was confused, "How…what…"

"That's what we were hoping _you_ would know," Bubbles explained.

"Yeah," Blossom said. "She used one of her 'sonic screams' on it…"

Bubbles folded her arms, "I prefer 'shout', not 'scream'…"

Query was dialing her cellphone. She spoke quickly into it, "Tripwire…what's the status on the active agent in our area?" After a moment of listening, she said, "You're kidding…"

"Report?" Daedalus said.

Query looked over at him and said, "The agent's processes have been disrupted. I don't know how, but he's completely out of commission."

"Yeah, but for how long?" Buttercup asked.

"It looks like permanently," she said. "At least until someone repairs him…"

"That's not going to happen," Daedalus said. "Tell Tripwire to find us a safe haven. We're taking him with us." He kneeled down next to the agent and pulled the wire free from his ear, cutting him off from any communications.

As Query continued talking on the phone, Bubbles said, "What's going to happen now?"

"Now," Daedalus told her, "we're going to try to use him to find out what they're up to. This is completely unprecedented. No one's _ever_ captured an agent before, we didn't even think it was _possible_. We need to take full advantage of the opportunity."

"Do you really think he'll tell us anything, though?" Blossom asked.

Daedalus shook his head, "It doesn't matter. He's a computer program…we can just hack the information out if we need to." After a brief moment of thought, he said, "By the way, did _you_ find out anything?"

"They were after Mo--…" Buttercup began, but then froze as she realized, "We left him back there!"

Without wasting a moment, all three of the girls grabbed someone to take with them. They didn't want to leave anyone behind this time. Blossom carried Daedalus, Bubbles carried Query, and Buttercup carried the paralyzed agent. They quickly flew back over in the area where they had left Mojo. Upon reaching there, however, they found no one, not even the agent that had been knocked into the side of the building.

"I hope Mojo just got away," Bubbles said hopefully.

"From an agent?" Daedalus said. "Unlikely. But at least we have one of _theirs_. We need to find out what he knows as fast as possible, before they put whatever their plan is into action..."

* * *

They gathered back at a hotel room. It wasn't the same one as the one they had been in when they were removed from the Matrix, but it was similar. Equipment was piled around, and both Photon and Reaper had now joined them to help with the hacking process. The captured agent was strapped into a chair, several wires running from him, almost like he was on some sort of life support system, but it had a different purpose entirely.

The girls just watched silently as they did their work, at the computers. The agent barely moved; it was still incapacitated. Daedalus was observing the process just as silently as they were. The only sound was the soft clacks of Photon and Reaper working at their keyboards.

Query was standing near Bubbles, and she whispered, "We'll probably end up taking you along on future missions now, Bubbles. You've got a weapon we can use against the machines, and an incredibly effective one at that."

"Thanks! It was easy," Bubbles replied.

Daedalus softly reminded them, "They'll probably try to figure out a defense against it. That's the way they operate. We shouldn't count on it as a foolproof method of combating them…we must always remember to have a contingency plan."

"I think I've got it!" Reaper announced. Everyone looked at the agent, who blinked his eyes a few times, like he was coming around. "Don't worry, he can't move. He should be completely cooperative now, though."

The girls watched with interest as Daedalus stepped over in front of the agent. He said, "What is your name?"

The agent looked up, although its eyes didn't really focus on him…they were sort of glazed over. He spoke in a voice that sounded oddly synthetic, "Agent number 52291, 'Osbourn'…"

"Agent Osbourn," Daedalus said, "tell us what you know about the Powerpuff Girls."

"Project 882," the agent told them. "Biosynthesis of human DNA to produce a new specimen. Intention was to create a breed of human with a greater thermal and bioelectric yield."

"For what purpose?" Query asked.

The agent continued, "The theorized reason for control instability and subject separation from simulation was that far too many were being controlled. Any effort to reduce it to a manageable size would result in insufficient levels of power. By producing a superior breed with a greater output of energy, the older, obsolete humans could be easily replaced by a smaller amount, while producing the same overall output."

The girls glanced at each other, as Daedalus said, "Continue."

"Three prototypes were engineered," the agent said. "After five years of measuring thermal and bioelectric output, reading a full fifty percent above normal, their memories were cleared, and they were inserted into the simulation for test and observation in a live setting. The results of this test yielded unexpected results."

The girls were a little shocked hearing all of this, but at least some of it began to make some sense. They used to wonder why they were five years old at their creation; now they knew why.

"Explain," Query said.

"Their enhanced bioelectric levels increased their subconscious processing speed, far beyond what was expected," the agent said. "They were able to effortlessly ignore most of the rules set by the system, in a manner which we were unable to fully comprehend. We planned to cancel the experiment, but chose not to when we saw the results of their energy outputs. They did not read fifty percent above normal as previously tested, but rather, they read between two hundred and three hundred percent above normal."

Nodding, Daedalus asked, "And why was this?"

"Their power output jumped with the use of their…'abilities'…" the agent told them. "We decided then to change the nature of the test. Instead of merely observing them in a natural setting, we created scenarios to continue prompting the use of their powers. We localized the tests to the city called Townsville in order to prevent any large-scale loss of human life."

Blossom blinked a few times and said, "So…you mean, all the disasters and criminals and stuff we've been fighting in Townsville…that was all set up?"

"Yes," he said. "Designed to keep the prototypes to constantly use their abilities, and to keep their energy outputs high. Assuming a successful test run, we would be able to replace the regular humans with these superior ones, and would only have to manage a population size from one-third to one-half the current size."

All of them fell silent at this. Daedalus said, "I see…and what does this 'Mojo Jojo' have to do with this?"

"Agent number 91881, 'Mojo Jojo'," he said. "For the purposes of testing, his awareness of his surrounding environment as a simulation was not included, so that he could participate in the test without affecting it outside of the controlled environment."

"He's…an agent?" Buttercup said.

The agent barely nodded, "Yes. One of several assigned to Townsville, to continue generating scenarios for the Powerpuff Girls."

Blossom shuddered a little…they were trying to rescue Mojo earlier, but in reality, he was just one of them. "But then, why were you trying to capture him?" she asked.

"The loss of the Powerpuff Girls from the simulation requires an agent that is used to dealing with them, so that they can be returned or destroyed. While we always observed test results, we rarely watched everything that occurred. Agent number 91881, 'Mojo Jojo', is the agent most familiar with them. His experience will also help with project 978."

"What is _that?_" Daedalus asked, suddenly concerned.

"I…it…zzg…" the agent said, his voice becoming more of a buzz. Electricity seemed to spark across his frame.

"What's going on?" Bubbles exclaimed.

Photon's hands flew across the keyboard, "His processes are breaking down…I'm sorry, but I can't stop it…"

The agent jolted once, and collapsed back in the chair, a wave of electricity passing across him one last time. His appearance changed, and now he looked like some police officer…likely, it was whoever the agent had been using as it's control point.

Reaper shook his head, "No sign of him…he's been completely destroyed."

"Well, at least that's one less agent," Query remarked.

Blossom was troubled about that last piece of information, though. _What was this 'project 978' that he mentioned?_ Blossom thought. _And what does it have to do with us?_

* * *

Mojo sat in the small, barren room, still handcuffed. He grumbled, "Yesss…my vengeance will come, once I am released from this place. They cannot hope to hold Mojo Jojo for long, as I will have developed a clever escape plan by that time…"

The door swung open, and Mojo stopped talking, waiting to find out who it was. Three men, wearing similar suits to the one he saw before, strode into the room, and stood in a circle around him. Mojo growled, "Well, if you have something to say, then do so, or else release me, although I would prefer the latter…"

"Do not worry, Agent 91881," one of the men said. "Our procedure will not take long."

Mojo was confused, and still a little angry, "Agent 91881? What are you talking about? I belong to no agency. You are mistaken!"

The one by his left started unscrewing the helmet from the top of his head, revealing his usual exposed brain, while the other pulled out a long syringe. The one that had spoken to him continued, "You will remember soon enough."

"What are you doing?" Mojo demanded, but before he could struggle further, the agent on his right plunged the syringe into his head. Mojo clenched his eyes shut in pain and try to shout, but no sound escaped his throat. He remained tense for another few seconds, almost completely still, and then suddenly his eyes flew open again, and he released the breath that was caught in his chest.

"Welcome back, 91881," the man in front of him said.

Mojo slowly took his helmet back, and put it on his head, his expression returning to normal. "I am glad to be back, for now I can help you recapture the Powerpuff Girls. That is what you wanted me back for, is it not? And it is what I shall do for you…"

**__**

TO BE CONTINUED…


	4. Plans

**__**

Checkmatrix

By: Mark J. Hadley

* * *

****

CHAPTER 4 – "Plans"

Reaper set down three small bowls on the table in front of each of the girls. They looked down at its contents in dismay. The bowls held some kind of cream-colored substance; it was thick, like applesauce, and there were larger chunks spread throughout it, like it hadn't been blended carefully enough. "The lumps are the best part," he told them, sitting down across the table and starting on his own bowl.

Blossom lifted a spoonful of the stuff up, examining it for a moment before finally tasting it. Even if it _looked_ like applesauce, it certainly didn't _taste_ like it. She forced herself to swallow it, even through she felt more like spitting it out. Bubbles and Buttercup didn't seem to care much for it, either. The other members of the crew--except for Tripwire--were seated around the table, eating with no problem whatsoever. _They're probably just used to it_, Blossom thought.

"This is supposed to be _good_ for us?" Buttercup said, stirring her meal up in an attempt to make it not so thick.

Daedalus nodded, "It's a base nutrient supplement. It contains everything you need to stay healthy. We have to stay efficient like this, since food is so scarce."

Blossom set her spoon down for a moment and said, "So, what's our next move? We know they're up to something…"

"We need to locate their test site," Query told them. "Once we do, we can observe them and find out what this 'Project 978' is. Until then, our hands are tied."

"Right," Blossom said. "Hey, if it's all right, I'd like to go back into the training program after we eat. I need some more practice…"

"It's perfectly all right," Daedalus told her. "That's what it's there for." As he resumed eating, a panel on the wall next to him beeped…he reached over and pressed a button on it, saying, "Yes?"

Tripwire's voice came from the device, "Daedalus…I think I've found it. There's a concentration of five agents in a single area, plus…" His voice trailed off for a moment.

Daedalus said, "Plus…?"

"…plus something I've never seen before," Tripwire continued. "I don't know what it is. Maybe it's a new Matrix construct, or perhaps just another agent…I can't tell." There were glances around the table. They all knew…whatever it was, it was related to Project 978.

"Understood," Daedalus said. "Bring the ship into transmission range; we're going in…"

* * *

The black van headed down the busy street through Townsville. Photon was at the wheel, with Daedalus in the seat next to her. In the back, everyone else was seated: Query, Reaper, and the Powerpuff Girls. The girls were wearing different clothes for this trip, however. They didn't want to draw any unwanted attention with their usual brightly-colored superhero outfits, so now all three of them wore outfits similar to the others: simple black clothes, with small black trench coats and sunglasses.

Bubbles stared out of the window as they drove on, and sighed, "I'm still not really used to it…"

"What?" Buttercup asked.

"Just the idea that everyone's trapped like we were," Bubbles remarked. "An' no one knows. Seems kinda like more people should figure it out…"

"Look around, Bubbles," Buttercup told her. "_You_ know this all isn't real, but doesn't it _look_ like it?"

Bubbles nodded, "Yeah, I guess you're right."

The van pulled to a stop in front of one of Townsville's skyscrapers, easing into a parking space. "We're here," Photon announced. "From the top floor, we should have a good clean view of their test site in the next building over."

"Fine," Daedalus said. "Photon, you stay with the van, in case we need to get out of here in a hurry. Everyone else…let's move out."

The group departed the van and made their way into the building. The elevators took them up to a small visitor observation lounge on the top floor. Thankfully, it was early in the day, and there wasn't anyone around to watch them, so they went over by the windows to get a good look at the activity below.

Outside, they could see them, on the roof of a slightly shorter building next to theirs. Four of the figures standing there were obviously agents, wearing the same simple gray suits as they usually did. Two others were standing with them, however. One was another man…he was slightly taller than the agents by about a half-foot or so and was wearing a _black_ suit and sunglasses. Even though the others were moving, he remained completely motionless. The last figure, standing next to him, was instantly recognizable…

"Mojo," Buttercup muttered under her breath. "Looks like they got to 'em."

"Yes," Daedalus agreed. "I'm more concerned with that other one, though." He watched as the agents talked, although there wasn't any way they could make out what they were saying from this distance. "I wish we could move in closer," he added, "but it's too risky."

"Maybe for you," Blossom said, "but _we_ could give it a try. We'll stay low, out of sight…"

Query shook her head, "I don't know…if something were to go wrong…"

She didn't get to finish what she was saying, because at that moment, all four of the agents below put their hands up to their ears, listening closely to the radio connection they have there. All at once, they cast glances up at the building, directly towards the observation area. Mojo looked as well, although the mysterious black-suited figure stayed perfectly still.

"We've been spotted!" Daedalus shouted. "Let's move!" The group turned and started heading quickly for the elevator. About halfway across the room, though, the elevator doors opened, and three of the agents stepped out. Daedalus froze, and cursed under his breath…they transferred over here so _quickly_.

The Powerpuff Girls weren't afraid, however, and the three of them flew up in the front. Buttercup beckoned them and said, "All right…bring it on." The agents each wordlessly lifted a pistol and began firing. Without so much as batting an eye, the girls' arms moved quickly, knocking each bullet aside harmlessly.

By this time, Daedalus, Query, and Reaper had their own weapons drawn and were taking cover behind the girls. They leaned out and fired back, but the agents easily dodged their onslaught of bullets as well. After only a few moments of this gunfire exchange everything suddenly fell silent, as everyone's weapons ran out of ammo. There was a brief silent exchange of glances between them, then everyone tossed their weapons aside, readying to go hand-to-hand.

None of them got the chance, though, as in a blink of an eye, the Powerpuff Girls dashed across the room, each landing an uppercut to the jaw of a different agent and knocking them into the air. They followed them up quickly with a quick kick each to the side. Two of the agents landed against the wall, while the one Buttercup kicked crashed through a window instead, plummeting down towards the street below.

"They are faster," one of the agents said to the other as he got back up. "We need assistance."

"Help is arriving," the second one said, nodding.

Another window to the observation room crashed open, and this time it was a more familiar sight. It was Mojo, wearing a jetpack, with one of his typical energy rifles in his hands. He gritted his teeth in the same evil stare that he usually did, but this time, his eyes seemed different…not full of anger and hatred, but more of a coldness.

Reaper was closest to him…he fell into a quick fighting stance and swung a powerful kick towards the side of Mojo's head. With amazing speed, Mojo ducked and grabbed the leg, pulling Reaper up off the ground and throwing him aside, right through the hole in the window that Mojo had made in his entrance.

"Reaper!" Query shouted, but before she could act, Bubbles leapt up from the ground and dashed out through the hole in a blur. As Reaper fell towards the ground below, Bubbles managed to reach him and catch him by the ankle, a mere second before impact. Reaper was a little shaken, but nodded a quick thank-you to her.

Now that their attention was split, the two remaining agents rushed forward to attack again. Blossom wasted no time in leaping up between them. She kicked sideways with both of her legs, easily knocking them both in opposite directions. She smiled a little to herself as she though, _This is getting easier…they're right, we _are_ more powerful than them now…_

As she landed, Mojo took aim with his blaster and fired a shot at her back. Buttercup spotted this and tried to knock Blossom out of the way. It worked, but the blast ended up hitting _her_ instead. The blast slammed her against the wall with tremendous force.

With the other agents knocked aside, there was a clear path to the elevator now. Daedalus and Query rushed into it as fast as they could…Daedalus pulled out a cellphone and dialed it hastily as they entered. "Tripwire," he said into it. "We need an exit, _fast_…"

Outside, Bubbles had dropped off Reaper by their van outside…he said, "They'll need your help up there…hurry back!" Nodding, Bubbles took off towards the top of the building once again.

Mojo was about to advance towards the elevator, but Blossom interposed herself between them. Buttercup managed to pick herself back up again and flew over next to her. The elevator doors closed behind them, and an instant later, Bubbles appeared by the window. Everyone stayed still…after all that commotion in the last minute, there was finally a moment of silence as the remaining occupants of the room stared each other down.

"Your friends may have gotten away," Mojo declared, "but _you_ will not be so lucky. You see, I have been specially prepared to deal with you, and this time I know that I have the ability to destroy you utterly!"

"Well, you're going to have to do it without your buddies," Blossom told him. Then she shouted, "Bubbles, now!" and covered her ears, along with Buttercup. Bubbles took a deep breath and unleashed her sonic scream, even louder than before. The soundwaves ripped through the observation area, shattering all the windows. Both of the agents jerked to a stop, twitching for a moment, before the powerful waves literally tore them apart. They exploded in a shower of green electrical energy, dissipating into the air.

Mojo, while he cringed at the sound, did not react similarly however. Once Bubbles finished the sonic scream, he grinned wickedly and said, "I have taken special precautions to protect myself from your ability. You will find that I am a much more formidable enemy than I ever was even before. Behold!" He bounded backwards once, leaping right out of the window and igniting his jetpack. The girls immediately flew after him.

Hovering out in the sky, he stretched his arms and legs out to the sides, and the air began to ripple around him. A moment later, something solid materialized…it looked like a robotic suit of armor. It had an oddly alien look to it, although it was definitely Mojo's style. They could see him through the transparent bubble on the top…portruding from the right arm of the suit were two long serrated blades, and a blaster not unlike the one he had been carrying was mounted on the left arm.

The girls were shocked at this for a moment, and Mojo immediately took advantage of this, blasting Blossom head-on with a wide blue beam from his blaster. Blossom tumbled through the air, and saw that she was heading right towards the side of a building. She was unable to stop, but then she focused, and thought, _The building isn't there…it's just programmed code. No building. I'm hitting nothing…_

She closed her eyes softly, and came into contact with the building. She didn't impact…she passed right through it as though it wasn't even there. When she opened her eyes again, she was clear on the opposite side. Blinking a few times, she hovered to a stop and looked at the building she had just passed through. _It worked,_ she thought.

Bubbles and Buttercup were both staring at the spot where she disappeared in disbelief. Even Mojo seemed startled. A few seconds later, Blossom emerged again from the same spot, passing right through the wall like she did before. Her expression was determined.

"Blossom! You're okay!" Buttercup exclaimed. "How did you…"

"Daedalus was right," Blossom told her. "We _do _have even more power than we thought." She flew towards Mojo, who raised the blades on his arm and began swinging. His movements were incredibly fast, and were little more than a blur. Yet, Blossom wove between his swings easily.

In the next instant, she swung both of her arms out, lashing out at the side of each of his arms. One punch struck the blades on his right arm, snapping them off entirely, and the other smashed his blaster to pieces. Mojo immediately flew backwards, trying to gain some distance, but Blossom responded by firing her eyebeams.

He saw them coming, and flew quickly to one side. Blossom narrowed her eyes, though, and suddenly the eyebeams made a ninety-degree turn, hitting him anyway. The beams sliced into the chest of the suit, causing bright blue streamers of electricity to jolt out from it. The back half of the suit broke open and fell away, and Mojo leapt out from it moments before the whole suit finally exploded.

Mojo hovered back up with his jetpack and growled, "How did you do that? You should not have been able to do that!"

"It was easy," Blossom said, truthfully. "Amazingly easy…" Bubbles and Buttercup glanced at each other, and both of them smiled. They were beginning to feel it as well…they knew it was possible, and they realized that they too had the ability.

Mojo drew a couple of weapons and began opening fire on the three of them without hesitation. They zipped from place to place, avoiding the shots. It was child's play, now…

* * *

Daedalus opened his eyes, coming out of the Matrix. As Query disconnected him, he sat up and looked over at the other tables. Photon, and Reaper were also out safely, but he saw that the girls were still in. Quickly, he headed for Tripwire at the operations computer and asked, "How are they?"

"Absolutely amazing," he said, watching the Matrix code roll by the screen. "Their speed is incredible. And it looks like they're completely ignoring the rules of solid matter constructs now. Two agents have been completely deleted, and a third is temporarily out of commission. And this 'Mojo Jojo' agent is looking like he's having problems as well."

"You mean," Photon asked, "they're actually winning?"

Nodding, Tripwire answered, "Looks like they never stood a chance."

"I knew it," Daedalus said, watching the Matrix code from over his shoulder. "These three could win the war for us…"

* * *

Mojo couldn't understand it…he had received an upgrade, and had the best working knowledge out of any of the agents on how the Powerpuff Girls thought and operated. So why was he having such a hard time fighting them? It just wasn't logical. He continued trying to hit them with his weapons, but wasn't coming anywhere close to succeeding.

Blossom circled around behind him, kicking him square in the back. As he lurched forward, Bubbles and Buttercup both gave him an uppercut to the jaw together. Mojo was definitely starting to worry…despite his upgrade, he did have one flaw that the other agents didn't possess: he had no ability to transfer himself. In what was nearly panic, he suddenly decided just to retreat…

The girls zipped ahead of him and blocked his path, however. Blossom smiled and said, "Normally, we'd just take you to jail, Mojo…"

"…but we know you're an agent…" Bubbles added.

"…so instead, you're goin' down," Buttercup finished.

All three of them powered up their eyebeams…Mojo was too battered from their earlier attacks to dodge. The beams fired, all three intersecting onto him, and he was blasted out of existence. Electricity surrounded the area where he was once at, and the girls could swear they heard a voice echo from it, saying, "_Cursesss!!!_" before the energy disappeared altogether…

* * *

The last remaining agent watched from a safe distance on the street. He cast a cold glance momentarily at what was left of the businessman on the street next to him, having transferred out of that body after impact. Looking back up again, he saw that the Powerpuff Girls had defeated Agent 91881. It didn't really matter, though…at least they had not interfered with Project 978, and it was finally ready.

Another agent appeared at his side, the one that had not joined the battle. He said, "We have proven ineffective against them now. This will complicate our plans."

"Not to worry," he replied. "The ACA prototype will take care of them. They will not escape us." He placed his hand over the radio in his ear, listening to the final pieces of data come in, and silently gave the signal to begin. Now, with nothing more for him to do here, the two of them turned and started back

* * *

"…an' that's the last we'll see of _him_," Buttercup remarked, staring at the spot where Mojo was just a moment ago.

"Good job, everyone," Blossom said. She reached into her trench coat and found the tiny cellphone that Query had given her before they set out on the mission. She dialed it up and waited.

Tripwire's voice came from the other end, "Operator."

"Tripwire, it's us," Blossom said. "We did it…I'm sure whatever they were planning, they won't be able to succeed now,"

"Yeah, really," Tripwire said with a slight chuckle. "Not with four less agents. But there's still two unaccounted for."

Nodding, Blossom said, "I want to check out what that other guy was, too…the one that was standing on the roof with them. Find out anything new about him?"

"Not a thi…" Tripwire began, but then hesitated. "Hold on, something's happening…"

"What?" Blossom asked.

There was an even longer pause, and Tripwire's voice finally came again, breathlessly, "My God…"

* * *

High above, on the rooftop, the figure in the black suit stood, still motionless. A couple of pigeons had even set down on him, and he didn't so much as twitch a single muscle. His eyes remained closed, and he was completely oblivious to their presence.

An instant later, the radio in his ear came alive. His eyes flew open, and he lifted a hand to cover it and listen carefully. The pigeons flew away from him with his sudden motion. He ignored it and focused on what he heard. Narrowing his eyes, he turned his gaze off to the sky in the distance, spotting his targets even from afar. The Powerpuff Girls. He carefully removed his sunglasses and tucked them away into his suit pocket, and casually straightened his tie. It was time.

**__**

TO BE CONTINUED…


	5. Power

**__**

Checkmatrix

By: Mark J. Hadley

* * *

****

CHAPTER 5 – "Power"

Tripwire had never seen anything like it. He watched the Matrix code roll across the screen, now including the presence of…whatever it was. It definitely looked like an agent, but it wasn't behaving like one. The code was changing, shifting…it was doing things that it shouldn't be able to. He had only seen this pattern one other place before, and he was terrified to think of its implications…

His headset was still active, transmitting his voice to the cellphone that Blossom was using, but he was speechless. He literally could not describe what he was seeing. All he knew was that they were all in trouble…deep trouble…

* * *

"What?" Blossom said into her cellphone. "What is it?"

She didn't know what was going on, but by the tone of Tripwire's voice, it sounded bad. He replied, "Girls, we need to get you out of there right away. There's an exit two blocks down the street…the five-story brick building on the corner. Hurry!"

"What's this about?" she asked.

With some urgency, Tripwire said, "I can't explain it myself…but it's dangerous! Just get out, while you still can, _please!_"

"We're on our way!" Blossom promised. She closed up the cellphone and said, "C'mon, girls! We have to get moving…"

"What's going on?" Bubbles asked.

Blossom started flying in the direction of the exit, and said, "I don't know exactly, but we can find out later. Right now, let's just get out of here!"

Buttercup nodded, "Right behind ya," and followed, along with Bubbles. They covered the distance to the building in almost no time and started descending towards the roof. However, they spotted something that made them freeze in their tracks. Someone was waiting for them on the rooftop…it was the man in the black suit they saw before.

_He must have transferred over here,_ Blossom thought. They came to a stop, and the man in the suit called out to them, "Powerpuff Girls, greetings."

"Who are you?" Bubbles asked, though she kept her distance just the same.

After a moment's hesitation, the man said, "O'Brian…Agent O'Brian."

"Really…well, Agent, you'd better get outta our way," Buttercup said with a frown, "if you know what's good for ya."

"Not so long as I have a mission," the agent said. "We need you back, girls. But if you continue to resist, and we cannot have you back, then you are a liability. One that must be terminated."

"Save your 'breath', agent, we're not going peacefully," Blossom told him.

"Very well," the agent said calmly, and suddenly he was next to them. He had crossed the rooftop so fast that they didn't even see him move. They certainly didn't have time to react. The agent grabbed Buttercup by one of her arms and swung her in a semicircle, slamming her into the other two and driving them into the rooftop. He threw Buttercup away in the opposite direction…she bounced across the roof a couple of times before skidding to a halt.

All of this happened in less than two seconds. Bubbles lifted her head from the gravel on the rooftop, staring at the agent in disbelief. She clenched her teeth and flew towards him, drawing her fist back into a punch. He didn't budge an inch until she was almost right on top of him, but then as she swung, he leaned back slightly, the punch missing him entirely.

Bubbles used the momentum from the missed punch to swing a leg around into a good strong kick. The agent's arm came up and stopped it, and even with all the strength she had put into it, he wasn't fazed at all. For a moment, all she could do was gape…an instant later, he had reversed the arm that he had blocked with and grabbed hold of her leg. He held her up, dangling upside-down from his grasp, and started to pummel her with his other hand.

Blossom and Buttercup had both come to by this time, and saw what was happening. They were still on opposite sides of the roof from each other, with the agent in the middle. Blossom gave a quick signal to Buttercup for a charge, and both of them shot towards the agent simultaneously, from opposite sides.

The agent saw them coming and stopped his punches…with a quick flick of the wrist, he threw Bubbles straight upwards, and then reached out sideways just as Blossom and Buttercup approached. He grabbed both of them by the neck right out of the air from their charge. Swinging his arms in front of himself, he smashed the two of them together head-first, then dropped both of them and punted them together, his kick sending them both to the far corner of the rooftop.

Casually, he held his hand up and caught Bubbles as she fell back down again. He hurled her like a missile towards the others, slamming her into them. The three of them tumbled back a few more feet, stopping by the edge of the roof. He straightened his tie and started to walk towards them.

Buttercup groaned as she tried to sit up again, "What the…what the heck _is_ this guy…?"

The agent said, almost proudly, "I think you will find that I am the superior force here. You have no chance to survive against my abilities."

"Yeah," Blossom said, getting back up, "but yours is still a world based on rules." She flew up from the rooftop, and the other girls followed suit…she continued, "So you're faster and stronger…you can't break the rules, though. It'll just be a matter of wearing you down from a safe distance…"

"Girls," the agent said, "with me, there _is_ no 'safe distance'…" As the girls watched, he stretched his arms out and hovered up from the roof slowly, heading for them. Impossibly, he was flying, ignoring gravity, like them…

"Wh-what?" Bubbles said, surprised.

Buttercup blinked a few times and said, "No…it can't be…"

"Yes," the agent said, showing no signs of slowing down, "I am the product of Project 978. I am the ACA prototype…the Advanced Combat Agent. Superior to any human in strength and speed, and in possession of your…unique abilities as well."

Blossom's confidence was shaken. _We've had the advantage over the agents,_ she thought, _but only because they were limited by the rules of the Matrix. This guy…if what he says is true, he probably has all the powers and abilities _we_ had. Plus, he's faster and stronger than us. I think Tripwire was right…we've got to get out of here, or we're doomed!_

As the agent got closer, Blossom ordered, "Stay clear of him, girls! We need to find that exit, now!" The three of them split off in different directions, heading for the sides of the roof. The agent's head snapped from side to side, watching two of them leave, but then he narrowed his eyes and suddenly fired a set of bright, crimson eyebeams. The beams struck Bubbles before she could get over the side…they pushed her down into the rooftop once again, but this time, she was knocked cold.

As Blossom and Buttercup flew down the sides of the building, they noticed that Bubbles wasn't with them…Buttercup stopped her descent and looked back up towards the roof. The agent flew out over the edge, the unconscious Bubbles tucked under his arm. Buttercup gasped and tried to fly up after them, but Blossom grabbed hold of her arm to stop her.

"No!" Buttercup shouted. "We gotta save her!"

"We can't fight him!" Blossom shouted back. "He'll get all three of us…we have to get to the exit _now!!_"

With that, Blossom pulled Buttercup along with her as they flew in through a window on the side of the building. Buttercup protested, "We can't just leave her!"

"We'll return for her," Blossom said with assurance, "but right now we have to go!" As they flew into the building, into an empty, abandoned apartment, they spotted an old telephone on the table. It was ringing. _There's our exit,_ Blossom thought. "You first, Buttercup…"

Buttercup reluctantly picked up the receiver, lifting it to her ear. In the next moment, she vanished, free from the Matrix once again. Blossom hung up the receiver again, and it immediately rang again. As she answered it, she cast one last glance out of the window. _Hold on, Bubbles,_ she thought…_we'll be back for you…I promise…_

* * *

Blossom sat up immediately from the bed. The first thing she heard was Buttercup, off to the side by the control station, yelling, "What on Earth _happened_ in there?!" All the rest of the crew were standing near her.

Daedalus was studying the screen over Tripwire's shoulder and shook his head, "I don't know how, but they actually did it. They created an agent based on all the data they collected from you over the years."

Hopping down from the table, Blossom said, "Bubbles, is she oka--…" She trailed off as she spotted the bed with Bubbles on it. She was still lying there, hooked into the system. "She's still in the Matrix?"

"That's right," Query told her. "They're probably taking her someplace where it will be hard to reach her. And this 'Advanced Combat Agent' will no doubt be personally guarding her."

Buttercup glared at Blossom and snapped, "You shoulda let me try to rescue her! What's wrong with you?!"

"What's wrong with _me?!_" Blossom exclaimed. "If you had charged after him, you would have gotten yourself _killed_, Buttercup!"

"That was a risk I was willing to take!" Buttercup growled.

"Brute force isn't going to work this time," Blossom said. "We're going to need to plan this out carefully. We have to outsmart them."

"I'm not denying that," Buttercup said, "but I think it woulda been easier to stop him _now_, before he was able to take her who-knows-where and get extra help from the _other_ agents!"

Blossom hadn't considered that, but she said, "Bubbles will be safe. They're probably using her as bait to lure us in. So they won't do anything to her…and in the meantime, we can come up with some kind of plan to get her back."

"If I may," Daedalus said, interrupting their conversation, "I have a suggestion. We could come with you, to make sure that any minor threats such as military or law enforcement are dealt with. While we have them distracted, you can move in and rescue Bubbles. Perhaps we can even distract this Advanced Combat Agent."

Blossom shook her head, "It's too dangerous! He'd _pulverize_ you…"

"We're not going to _fight_ him," Query said. "We're just going to lure him away."

"I dunno," Buttercup frowned. "He's fast…I'm not sure you could get away from him so easily…"

They were distracted by a sudden change in Bubbles' readings. Everyone moved closer to look at her status display…her vitals had suddenly fluctuated. "What's happening?" Blossom asked urgently.

"I think they know we're watching," Photon said, biting her lip.

Reaper nodded, gritting his teeth. "Those _monsters_…"

"What?" Buttercup demanded. "What are they doing?"

"Those readings…" Reaper commented. "They're consistent with those experiencing electric shocks…"

Blossom cringed, and looked at Bubbles, "Why are they _doing_ that?!"

"Because you're right," Daedalus answered. "They're trying to lure you back in. They know we'll see what they're doing, and that we'll come and try to save her. They'll probably have a trap waiting for you, too."

Anger showing, Buttercup ran back towards one of the other beds and shouted, "Send me back in, now!"

"No, wait!" Blossom called out to her, following. "We have to plan this out first!"

"Fine, plan it on the way!" Buttercup said, lying down quickly on the bed.

Blossom decided she didn't have a choice, and climbed up onto her own bed, saying, "Guys, send us in. I'll understand if you want to stay out of this one, okay?"

"Nonsense, we're all coming, too," Daedalus said, each of them heading for their own positions. "You'll need all the help you can get."

Tripwire waited until they were all set, and started keying the loading sequence. He watched them all as the process began, and shook his head, focusing back on the screens in front of him. He understood how risky this was going to be…he hoped they knew what they were doing…

* * *

Everyone appeared in the construct loading program. The endless white stretched around them infinitely. "All right," Blossom said. "How much can we take in with us?"

"That's a good question," Daedalus said. "Normally, with so many agents watching for any major additions to the Matrix, we've been limited to what we can carry, or possibly something minor that can go more or less unnoticed in a city, like a car. But now that a number of their agents have been terminated, we might be able to sneak something larger through."

"Hmm…" Blossom said, thinking. "Hey, if I bring data or whatever back to the construct program, can we build it? Like blueprints?"

"Theoretically, yes," Query said. "But the blueprints would have to be tremendously detailed."

"What's on your mind, Bloss?" Buttercup asked.

Blossom smiled slightly and said, "I have an idea…you guys start gathering weapons and equipment. I'll go in alone first…I need to go get something, but I'll be right back, okay?"

There were a few concerned glances, but Daedalus nodded and said, "All right. Do it."

Blossom nodded a thank you, and closed her eyes, as Tripwire loaded her into the Matrix. She vanished from the construct program. Buttercup immediately said, "Okay. Now…weapons. What have we got?"

"You name it," Reaper said with a smirk, "We've got it."

"Okay, how about vehicles?" she asked. "Tanks might be nice…or a helicopter."

Photon nodded, "I think if we pick a nice, isolated corner of Townsville, we could add one there."

"Good, good," Buttercup said, rubbing her hands together. "We're gonna give them quite a show."

The construct program started loaded everything they needed. Racks of weaponry appeared from out of nowhere…rows of tanks, planes, and other war machines next to them. They quickly but carefully gathered everything they thought they'd need.

As they were doing this, Blossom suddenly reappeared. She had a few rolled-up blueprints tucked under her arm. Buttercup looked over and said, "Hey, welcome back. Whatcha got for us?"

Wordlessly, Blossom flew over and handed Buttercup the blueprints. She unfurled them and glanced them over, a slow smile spreading across her face, saying, "You got these from…" Blossom nodded, and Buttercup grinned, "Awesome! Hey, Tripwire, can you make these?"

Tripwire's voice came from the air around them. "I think so. You're right, the blueprints _are_ really detailed. _Incredibly_ so. Lots of redundant detail, even."

"Heh…yeah, I'm not surprised," Blossom said. "How long will it take?"

"Maybe a minute or two," Tripwire's voice replied. "I just have to analyze and key it up."

Buttercup nodded, "Perfect." She called out to the others, "Hey, we're moving out in a couple of minutes! Look sharp, everyone!" She smiled to herself and thought, _Those agents are in for one heckuva surprise_…

* * *

Bubbles' arms and legs were locked into place, held by the machine that surrounded her. She didn't know what it was made of, but she couldn't break free from it, even though she reminded herself over and over that it wasn't actually 'there', that it didn't actually exist. She couldn't focus, not with the occasional surges of electricity that it sent into her.

Another surge coursed through her, and she shrieked, tensing up and clenching her eyes shut. It lasted only a few seconds, and when it stopped, she fell limp again, taking deep breaths. She barely noticed the ACA prototype standing nearby and watching her, but she knew he was there. "Wh-why…" she sobbed.

"Because your friends will come for you," the ACA replied. "They don't have a hope of rescuing you, but we will give them that impression. That way, they will suspect nothing."

A door to the room opened up, and two other agents entered. The ACA looked over at them, and one of them said, "Everything is set. The military have been dispatched to this location, and are prepared for an offensive attack."

"They will not be much longer," the ACA said, nodding. He looked back at Bubbles, who was staring back out at him through teary eyes, and added, "The only thing remaining is to decide when would be best to terminate the prisoner…at the first sign of their entry into the Matrix, or after they arrive here."

"Too soon might cause them to turn back," the other agent pointed out. "We should wait until…" He stopped suddenly, and all three of the agents raised their hands to their ears, listening simultaneously to the new data that was just given to them. Bubbles watched this, and wondered what was going on. The agents exchanged quick glances with each other, and the two that had entered before quickly headed for the door.

The ACA walked over to the window instead, and looked out over the city, whispering to no one in particular, "They have arrived…"

* * *

The national guard that had been dispatched to protect the skyscraper and surrounding area watched off in the distance intently. They had gotten word from the 'agency' that trouble was coming, and they were prepared…or so they thought, until they caught sight of the aggressors.

Three small shapes flew high above the city skyline, and two helicopters accompanied them. A moment later, a tank appeared from around the distant buildings at ground level…but that wasn't all. Something far larger also came into view. It was gigantic…a huge robot, which stomped down the street with its large, metal legs. The arms had hatches across them, as though hinting at the presence of hidden weaponry. The body of the robot had many hatches as well, and a curved glass dome topped it.

As it began its approach, Daedalus worked its controls expertly. The giant Robo-Jojo did its work, the hatches on its arms and body sliding open to launch dozens of small missiles out, each of them seeking a different target. In a matter of seconds, most of the heavy artillery was destroyed…the tank and helicopters followed this up with attacks on the lighter vehicles.

The two agents emerged out onto the street from the building. Everything was in chaos…several smoldering craters, soldiers scattering…it looked like they realized they didn't stand a chance and began a retreat. Some of them opened fire on the Robo-Jojo as they backed out, but their bullets bounced harmlessly off of its heavily armored frame.

In the midst of this, the Powerpuff Girls flew well above the conflict, heading for the skyscraper where Bubbles was being held. They hoped that the conflict below would be enough of a distraction to keep them busy, while they began the rescue operation. And they hadn't caught site of the ACA prototype yet…which means their hunch was right; he was undoubtedly guarding Bubbles personally. All three of them braced themselves as they smashed through a window on the side of the building, preparing for the fierce conflict that lay ahead…

**__**

TO BE CONTINUED…


	6. Shutdown

**__**

Checkmatrix

By: Mark J. Hadley

* * *

****

CHAPTER 6 – "SHUTDOWN"

The Advanced Combat Agent turned to face the window. Standing there, over the pile of broken glass that now lay strewn across the ground, were the other two Powerpuff Girls, Blossom and Buttercup. As he had calculated, they arrived to rescue their sister. He looked back at Bubbles, still held in the restraints, and said, "You came for Bubbles, did you not?"

"Let her go," Blossom said, frowning. "You might have bested us before, but we're prepared this time." She gave a hurried glance at Bubbles. She looked afraid, and a little shaken, but other than that, seemed okay.

Buttercup nodded, "Yeah. This time, we're gonna whoop your sorry digital butt right back to the drawing board." She punched one fist into her other for emphasis.

The ACA did not seem impressed. He casually removed his sunglasses, tossing them aside onto a table, and said, "Yes, indeed. I can appreciate the need for deception, as that is the whole purpose of the Matrix to begin with. However, I feel the need to clear up this little...delusion of yours. The one where you _think_ you are going to do anything to 'liberate' _anyone_."

"That's enough," Buttercup said. "We came here to _fight_, not talk."

"Of course," he replied. Raising one of his hands, the fingernails suddenly grew out to around six inches in length each, and looked razor sharp. "You have not yet begun to see what kind of power I possess. But I will not bore you with the details. You are right; you came here to fight. That is why we lured you here in the first place. So, there being no further use for the bait..."

Before the girls could even react, the ACA spun around, driving his claw-like fingernails into Bubbles' chest. She gasped, but she couldn't cry out, as her breath was seized up in her chest. Her eyes widened in alarm and pain. Blossom shrieked, "_NO!_" and started to fly forward, but a quick snap-kick from the ACA knocked her back towards the window again.

He pulled the claws free, and Bubbles fell limp in her restraints, her eyes closing. Turning back to the girls, he raised his other hand, a similar set of claws emerging from them, and said, "I will enjoy watching the two of you perish as well."

Buttercup couldn't believe what she had just seen...her anger started building, and a strange, green aura seemed to glow around her. The ACA was confused by this for a moment, and suddenly, with a cry of rage, Buttercup stretched out her arms, and a beam of pure green energy leapt out from them. It struck the ACA, pushing him back clear through the rear wall and out of the building entirely.

Regaining her balance, Blossom looked at Buttercup in shock and said, "How did you do that?"

"You know what..." Buttercup said, looking at her arms. "I think we really _can_ do anything...so let's do it, and make this guy _pay_..." She dashed forward through the hole where she had knocked the ACA, in pursuit. Blossom flew right behind her, and cast a sad glance at Bubbles as she passed. _Don't worry, we'll stop him, Bubbles...for you..._

* * *

Out on the street, Daedalus brought down both arms of the Robo-Jojo, trying to smash the two agents below. They jumped up to avoid the fists, each of them landing on an arm, and they quickly charged up the side towards the bubble cockpit on top.

Daedalus was prepared, however, and triggered one of the robot's defensive mechanisms. The outside of the robot was suddenly electrified, and the two agents jolted, both of them tossed into the air from the shock and landing back on the pavement. The electricity continued to course through them, only greenish now, until the bodies resumed the shape of two military personnel. Daedalus kept his eyes open; the agents had likely transferred to a new control point, and he had to make sure he didn't let his guard down.

They appeared from behind. With a giant leap, one of them jumped up and landed right on top of the Robo-Jojo's cockpit, while the other clung to its back. Daedalus pitched the robot from side to side in an attempt to shake the agents loose, but they were hanging on tightly.

The one on top punched the glass strongly, and despite how reinforced it was, the glass cracked and started to shatter. Thinking fast, he reached up with one of the robot's arms and grabbed hold of the agent, prying him off before he could do anymore damage. He threw the agent straight up into the air and unloaded a pair of missiles from the robot's shoulders, which streaked up and impacted, blasting the agent into pieces.

The one on his back had ripped open the rear armor plating, however, and was started to yank out pieces of the internal machinery. The robot's power supply started to fade, and it tottered, on the brink of collapse. Daedalus cursed to himself and hit the eject button, throwing him clear of the robot just before it toppled over and exploded.

He landed on the street, rolling back to his feet, and saw the agent approaching him...and a few seconds later, he was joined by the other agent, which had transferred again by that point. Daedalus drew the weapons in his coat and started to open fire, even though he knew it wouldn't do any good. _I hope the Powerpuff Girls are okay,_ he thought. _I could really use their help right about now..._

* * *

The ACA had regained his bearings, hovering in the air behind the building, and saw the other two Powerpuff Girls fly out after him. Buttercup looked intensely angry, and yelled, "I've _had_ it with you! You're goin' down this time!"

Allowing himself a small smile, the ACA crossed his arms over his chest, and then simply vanished. The girls looked around in confusion...Blossom exclaimed, "Where'd he go?"

She suddenly reeled back as something struck her, and for a moment, the air wavered in front of her, in the shape of the agent. Buttercup growled, "He's invisible!" and started blasting with her eyebeams. The ACA dodged, but immediately became visible again as he fired his own eyebeams back at her.

"Yaah!" Butterup shouted, swinging her arm and striking the eyebeams, deflecting them away like someone had just thrown a pillow at her. "I don't care _how_ powerful you are! You're still just a machine, and you've got your limits!"

"You're still just an organic," the ACA countered, "and you have far _more_ limits."

Before anything else could be said, Blossom streaked towards him from the side, pulling her fist back for a punch. For a moment, the air around her fist seemed to glow, taking on the shape of a huge, fiery eagle. She slammed her punch into the side of him, causing an explosion on contact and sending him hurtling down onto a rooftop below.

"This is getting easier," she said. "It's like we're making up powers as we go..."

"Yeah, but so's he," Buttercup pointed out.

The ACA shot out from the side of the building...as he did, his movements became a blur. He started swinging a fast flurry of punches at both of the girls at the same time, his fists moving so quickly that it looked like there were a dozen of them. They were struck repeatedly and couldn't do anything to defend. Both of them were driven back by the attacks and reeled dizzily.

_He's just...too powerful,_ Blossom thought. _We...we've got to do something...if we don't, all is lost...Bubbles, I'm sorry...we're trying our best to avenge you...but we can't keep this up..._ She hoped for some kind of miracle that could help them...

* * *

Bubbles opened her eyes slowly, blinking them. _What happened?_ she thought to herself, looking around in confusion. _I...I should be dead...why am I still alive?_

Glancing at herself, she realized why at that moment. _The Matrix...it's whatever we make it out to be. If our minds die in the Matrix, we die in real life, because we think we're really dead...but we have the ability to make the Matrix whatever we want to be. And I didn't want to die..._

She tried to move, but noticed she was still in restraints. Without so much as a second thought on the matter, she yanked her hands free from it, ripping through the restraints like they were paper. She hovered in the center of the room and looked around. The girls were nearby; she could tell, somehow. She knew they were on the other side of the building, fighting that agent.

Staring at the nearest wall, and without so much as batting an eye, the wall exploded outwards, providing her a way out. She hovered out through the hole, finally aware what she must do...what she _could_ do...

* * *

The ACA held both of the girls up, one in each fist. They were powerless in his grasp, weak now from the pummeling they had received. Buttercup clenched her teeth and tried to break free, but it did no good; his grip was ironclad.

"And so now it ends," the ACA said. "We had such high hopes for you. At least it was not a complete waste, as they now have me. Once all agents are upgraded with my design, your 'rebellion' will be no more..."

He blinked, cutting off his speech as something grabbed him from behind. His hands reflexively opened, and the girls immediately hovered back. In the next instant, he suddenly went flying, straight towards the ground like a missile...except, they could tell he was out of control, that he had been thrown. And now that the agent was in the way, they could see who had thrown him...

"Bubbles?!" Buttercup said incredulously, starting at her sister, who was just floating there, looking down rather passively where she had thrown the agent.

Blossom was equally shocked, "You're...alive?"

Bubbles looked back up towards them and spoke, her voice seeming to have a strange echo to it, "I'm okay. Everything's gonna be okay now..."

Buttercup bit her lip and pointed at Bubbles' chest, "Um, Bubbles...you're bleeding..."

Looking down in surprise, Bubbles noticed that Buttercup was right...the wounds that the ACA had made on her were still there, and bleeding heavily as well. "Huh," she said, nonchalantly, like it was no big deal, and as the girls watched in amazement, the wounds sort of shimmered, and vanished entirely. Even her outfit in that spot had been repaired, with no visible tears.

"How..." Blossom began to say.

"We can control the Matrix," Bubbles answered. "_Everything_ in the Matrix. We can even _add_ whatever we want." Looking off into the distance, a skyscraper suddenly materialized near the edge of the city, where none had been a moment ago.

The girls were astonished, but then they began to realize that they had the power as well. Looking down at her hands, Blossom focused, and she was suddenly holding a bouquet of flowers. Buttercup looked up at a passing cloud overhead, and the cloud gradually took the shape of an airplane.

They looked at each other wordlessly. There was no need for words...they all understood what was happening. They were finally reaching the potential that they had been told they could reach. Complete control was theirs, and nothing was beyond their grasp anymore.

All three of them glanced down at the same time. The ACA was coming back up from the street again, flying towards them. The girls watched unconcerned as he approached. Blossom and Bubbles both looked at Buttercup and nodded...Buttercup nodded back, and in a flurry of motion, she disappeared.

The ACA came to a halt as Buttercup materialized in front of her. For a moment he was confused as to how she had moved so quickly, but then ignored it and simply attacked. Buttercup dodged his punch and was behind him in an instant, grabbing him by the back of the neck. He struggled, but couldn't break free.

Buttercup's eyes seemed to glow for a moment, and as they did, streamers of green electricity surrounded the agent. He protested, "No...that is impossible..." In the next instant, he shattered like glass, shards of green energy flying outwards in an explosion. Each of the shards broke up and dissipated into the air like they were made of dust.

"Not bad," Blossom said, her voice echoing now like Bubbles' was. "I don't see any trace of him..."

"Yeah," Buttercup said, with the same echo. "You think you're dealing with kids or something?" She smirked a little.

Bubbles looked off into the distance and said, "Daedalus needs our help."

"I noticed...let's hurry," Blossom said. The three of them flew together and joined hands. The air shimmered around them, and they disappeared...

* * *

Daedalus dropped his weapons...not a single bullet had struck either of the two agents, which were now charging towards him. He turned and ran...it was the only thing he _could_ do.

_Now what?_ he thought. _There's no way out..._

The Powerpuff Girls suddenly appeared above the street. The two agents stopped their pursuit and looked up at them curiously. Before they could act, Blossom looked directly at them, and the agents simply dissolved away. No explosion, nothing left behind...it was almost as though they were never even there.

Daedalus stopped and looked back at them, saying, "Girls?"

"Everything is fine now," Buttercup said, her voice booming, and sounding like it came from all directions at once. Everywhere in the city, people stopped what they were doing to listen. "We've won."

"That's right," Blossom added, her voice booming along with Buttercup's. "It's time to play our final card...today, the world wakes up. And today, the machines will be defeated at last."

"It won't be easy for everyone," Bubbles told him, "but they'll be okay. People are strong...they'll survive, and grow, just as they'd done for years."

Daedalus smiled and said, "Good luck, my friends. Mankind owes you a favor it may never be able to repay..." He knew he was right...the girls, although they had spent their entire lives saving the wrong world, still remained true to their ideals and had become the saviors of mankind that they were truly destined to be.

Blossom looked up in the sky and said, "Bubbles, if you would do the honors..." Bubbles nodded and hovered up high above the city. Taking in a deep breath, she unleashed a loud scream, like her usual sonic scream, but much more intense. Waves rushed out from her, ripples in the air, revealing glowing green numbers for a moment as they passed. The waves spread far and wide, across the entirety of the Matrix. All around, everywhere, people heard it, and the process began...they would awaken from this fantasy world, thrust back into the real world. Mankind would be free once again...

**__**

THE END


End file.
